Bangladesh Minorities Fear Rising Violence Ahead Of Polls

The South Asian nation of 170 million people -- the vast majority Sunni Muslim -- is preparing for its first parliamentary elections since a mass uprising toppled the autocratic government of Sheikh Hasina in 2024. Voting will take place on February 12. The Council for Hindu, Buddhist and Christian Unity said in a statement that there were at least 51 incidents targeting its members in December, including 10 murders. "Minority communities in Bangladesh are extremely terrified by the incidents that have taken place against them and by how they have played out on the ground," Kajal Debnath, a member of the council, told AFP Tuesday. "This government has been extremely nonchalant (about the violence against minorities)," he added, referring to the interim government under Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus. The statement released by the group detailed incidents of arson, rape and looting. It said it feared that the attackers were trying to scare minorities from voting. "We urge the government and the Election Commission to take steps," it said. After years of repression, Islamist groups are now working to gain a foothold in the country's upcoming election. In recent months, they have organised mass gatherings and campaigns focusing on activities that they deem anti-Muslim. Sheikh Hasina, 78, sentenced to death in absentia in November for crimes against humanity, remains in hiding in her old ally, India.